Zuffa (UFC) Purchases Strikeforce

[BigWillie]

http://mmajunkie.com/news/22807/ufc-purchases-strikeforce.mma

First it was PRIDE and then the WEC. Now add Strikeforce to the list.

UFC president Dana White today announced in an interview with MMAFighting.com that Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has purchased Strikeforce.

Terms of the purchase were not immediately disclosed, but White characterized the transaction as "a good deal."

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) learned of the deal Saturday morning, though requests for comment to both UFC and Strikeforce officials went unanswered.

White said under the terms of the purchase, Strikeforce talent will remain on the promotion's roster for the time being, though UFC fighters could potentially make their way into the organization.

The one thing that I got from the 20 minute interview is that the UFC will bid on Strikeforce talent once their contract runs out with that organization. Although Dana says Strikeforce will be run by Scott Coker still and he will be able to bid for talent the same as the UFC does, you can bet that if Dana wants someone bad enough that Strikeforce will not make it difficult on him.

The only exceptions that Strikeforce will likely never have to worry about getting plucked from them - Dan Henderson, Fedor, Paul Daley.

 

[tko112204]

So there will still be Strikeforce cards? Or everything will be UFC?

And will it still be on Showtime?

 

[BigWillie]

So there will still be Strikeforce cards? Or everything will be UFC?

And will it still be on Showtime?

Strikeforce will be just like the WEC was. Under the Zuffa banner, but ran as a different organization. Reed Harris ran the WEC, and Strikeforce will still be ran by Scott Coker.

And yes, it will still be on Showtime.

Contracts are still in place and will be honored as well.

Basically, everything is the same. Strikeforce is still the same, it is just now under the Zuffa banner. Might see production change a bit with how Strikeforce is produced, but that will be it.

 

[Ren]

Fedors decline was the end for SF, Overheem in a title fight with Cain would be epic. There's really not much left in Japan in terms of MMA these days so that fight could very well happen, there's no where left to go for a lot of these guys now

 

[BigWillie]

Fedors decline was the end for SF, Overheem in a title fight with Cain would be epic. There's really not much left in Japan in terms of MMA these days so that fight could very well happen, there's no where left to go for a lot of these guys now

No superfights either with UFC fighter vs Strikeforce fighter. Dana made that clear that there would no cross promotional events.

Even so, I doubt Overeem would go to the UFC, and I doubt he will even re-up with Strikeforce. Overeem has been outspoken about how the UFC is so restrictive with what their fighters are able to do and that being a main reason he didn't sign with the UFC a few years ago. Now with Strikeforce being a Zuffa organization, they will almost certainly put the same restrictions in fighter contracts going forward.

 

[Hoofbite]

So this is like Vince McMahon buying up all those other wrestling companies and keeping one around as it's original name?

Didn't he buy ECW and pretty much shuffle some rosters?

Hopefully Dana doesn't do what Vince did with WCW. Buy em out and then let a number of stars just rot.

 

[TheCount]

I think this is great news.

The real question is how long before they merge.

I think they might turn Strikeforce into a kind of developmental league at some point, maybe have them do a fight a week like Bellator is trying to do.

But have no doubt that Dana has zero interest in copromoting anything with Strikeforce, he'd rather merge the companies than share a byline with Coker and Strikeforce.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Monopoly much?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/634480-ufc-buys-strikeforce-what-does-the-purchase-mean-for-mma

 

[CanuckCowboysFan]

Strikeforce will be just like the WEC was. Under the Zuffa banner, but ran as a different organization. Reed Harris ran the WEC, and Strikeforce will still be ran by Scott Coker.

And yes, it will still be on Showtime.

Contracts are still in place and will be honored as well.

Basically, everything is the same. Strikeforce is still the same, it is just now under the Zuffa banner. Might see production change a bit with how Strikeforce is produced, but that will be it.

They're going to merge eventually...

 

[TheCount]

There's already a thread about this.

And it's about as much of a monopoly as the NFL, NBA and NHL are.

 

[BigWillie]

I don't see it happening, TBQH.

The WEC was unique in the fact it had the lighter weight classes, with some incredibly explosive and exciting fighters. The heavier weight classes in thE WEC were limited in fighters that could possibly have success in the UFC. That merger was just based on bringing more exciting fights at a different weight class than absorbing a company.

OTOH, with Strikeforce, you have a product that shows the same weight divisions as the UFC. It isn't unique enough to merge as shows would just become bloated and new talent would not be discovered as often on undercards or even Fight Nights.

Personally, I see the UFC trying to absorb some of the larger talent - King Mo, Melendez, Silva, Aoki, Mayhem, Jacare. At the same time, I think they may lose some guys who are critical of how the UFC handles their fighters - Henderson, Overeem, Fedor.

Going forward, I would expect Strikeforce to be more of a breeding ground for the newer fighters. Rather than have them stowed away on undercards in the UFC, give them a platform to build a hype machine behind fighters before bringing them over to the big stage. Guys still in Strikeforce like Tyron Woodley, Roger Gracie, Daniel Cormier - take the insane talent these guys have and let them build it on TV cards for Showtime. It builds their brand, builds them as fighters, and will put hype behind the fighters down the road by giving them more attention behind them.

 

[TheDallasDon]

Great now im gonna have to pay to watch Strikeforce.............thanks zuffa

 

[Ren]

No superfights either with UFC fighter vs Strikeforce fighter. Dana made that clear that there would no cross promotional events.

They said the same when they bought Pride, within a month of that Pride was dissolved and ex Pride fighters where brought over to UFC. The same will happen now.
Whether they get Overeem or not probably depends on how bad he wants to keep doing K-1. His MMA options are getting more and more limited now and K-1 is having serious financial problems and probably won't be around that much longer so it's only a matter of time before we see him in the UFC

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

So Overeem/Lesnar could be coming down the line?

They better hurry on that before one or both gets busted for roids

 

[TheDallasDon]

So Overeem/Lesnar could be coming down the line?

They better hurry on that before one or both gets busted for HORSE MEAT

Fixed

 

[BigWillie]

They said the same when they bought Pride, within a month of that Pride was dissolved and ex Pride fighters where brought over to UFC. The same will happen now.

PRIDE was not dissolved until 6+ months after it was bought by Zuffa. They even had the Kamikaze event a couple months after its purchase.

Further, Zuffa cannot merge the UFC and Strikeforce because of the contract agreement Showtime has with Strikeforce that runs through 2014. Unless Zuffa is willing to buy itself out of that contract, or come through with some other type deal. But remember, Dana has had alot of negative things to say about Showtime and its reps over the years.

But one encouraging thing from the conference call today is that Dana changed his stance on the 'superfights' saying it would be up to the fans if we want them. IF we want them? Jeez, that's a no-brainer.

However he did say that the Heavyweight GP would go on as planned. IOW, the Overeem hype train show will continue.